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LuckyGuy's avatar

How much do you think Trump's total Covid medical treatment cost?

Asked by LuckyGuy (43880points) October 7th, 2020

Could the US afford the cost if 200 million people were infected?

Observing members: 0 Composing members: 0

9 Answers

JLeslie's avatar

No extra expense for the tax payer for the medical staff. Those doctors, nurses, and corpsmen are paid whether the president is there or not.

The medication Remdesivir is probably the biggest cost. If it’s received as an experimental drug it should be paid by research dollars, but probably it isn’t. Same with the antibody treatment. Those would be what we need to research, how much was paid for that.

Everything else in his care isn’t very expensive. It’s all at cost all the xrays, bandaids, gauze, etc. The X-ray machine is already there, there isn’t a charge per X-ray it’s just the electricity used to do the X-ray. The radiologist is salaried just like the rest of the medical team. Maybe they pay a laundry service at full retail for the bed linens and gowns.

Edit: @janbb’s article says about $2k to $3k for the Remdesivir.

jca2's avatar

I didn’t look at @janbb‘s link yet. My guess would be cost would be accrued from the Secret Service, probably additional detail to get him to the hospital, which means out in public, etc. Plus the helicopter to the hospital.

Dutchess_III's avatar

@JLeslie…how much did insurance cover and what were his out of pocket expenses? That’s the question. Because whatever it was we paid for it.

JLeslie's avatar

@Dutchess_III He uses Walter Reed. There is no “bill” or insurance or copay, but there are expenses incurred like medication and supplies that are part of the hospital’s costs. All the doctors, nurses, corpsmen are salaried servicemen. They are at the hospital whether Trump is there or not, being paid.

Although, @jca2 made a good point that if there is additional SS detail that costs the American people. I’m not sure if there was extra SS or not.

jca2's avatar

@JLeslie: If he did his joy ride around the hospital and whatever other public ride he took, that requires additional security detail.

LuckyGuy's avatar

He is saying it was like the flu. No big deal.

Except…. I don’t know anyone with the flu who:
1) had to be on a ventilator for 36 hours.
2) received a drug cocktail of various “Hail Mary” treatments
3) was released from the hospital on high doses of steroids to reduce inflammation in the lungs
and…
4) had to be helicoptered out to Walter Reed. But it is the president of course so that is understandable.

The question now is, at least 35 staff members at the White house are infected. How much is their treatment costing and how much productivity is lost? what about their family members?

Wouldn’t masks have been a whole lot less expensive and more productive?

LuckyGuy's avatar

And just now in the news!
“The virus “cure” that President Trump touted on Wednesday was created with cells originally derived from fetal tissue, a practice he had condemned.”

I’ll bet that wasn’t cheap.

JLeslie's avatar

@jca2 I just don’t know if the Washington detail is salaried and maybe it doesn’t cost additional like going to another state. Probably, you are right there is some extra cost. The helicopter is paid for, but you have fuel cost. My guess is the pilot is salaried.

@LuckyGuy My husband told me last night stem cells are used in the process. Is it embryonic stem cells?

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